Avast sandbox escape via unpreserved COM pathway through Task Scheduler
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-80301 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | GEN |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-11-06 16:18:58 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-11-06 16:18:58 UTC |
| Description | Improper isolation in the Avast sandbox on Windows allows a local, low-privileged attacker executing inside the sandbox to access COM interfaces to the Task Scheduler service, escape containment, and execute code with elevated privileges outside the sandbox. The sandbox virtualizes file system and registry access but does not adequately restrict COM interface access to Task Scheduler. A process inside the sandbox can instantiate COM objects bound to Task Scheduler functionality and invoke methods to schedule and execute tasks on the host system. The Task Scheduler COM pathway is not blocked by the sandbox policy, allowing arbitrary code execution in the host security context. This escape vector bypasses the sandbox's intended process and file isolation boundaries and can be chained with other host-level privilege escalation techniques. |
Risk And Classification
Problem Types: CWE-280 | CWE-653 | CWE-280 CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges | CWE-653 CWE-653: Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Gen Digital | Avast Antivirus Avast One Avast Premium Security Avast Ultimate | affected 26.7 custom | Windows |
| CNA | Gen Digital | AVG Antivirus Free AVG Internet Security AVG Ultimate | affected 26.7 custom | Windows |
| CNA | Gen Digital | Norton Antivirus Plus Norton 360 Standard Norton 360 Deluxe Norton 360 Advanced | affected 26.7 custom | Windows |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| support.avg.com/SupportArticleView | [email protected] | support.avg.com | |
| www.gendigital.com/us/en/contact-us/security-advisories | [email protected] | www.gendigital.com | |
| support.avast.com/en-us/article/Update-Antivirus | [email protected] | support.avast.com | |
| support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v20240108175512167 | [email protected] | support.norton.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Teng Zheng Wang by VulnGuard Labs (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Solutions
CNA: Gen Digital has released a fix in Avast, AVG, and Norton version 26.7 and later. The fix restricts COM interface access to Task Scheduler from within the sandbox by adding sandbox policy rules that block the COM pathway. Upgrade to version 26.7 or later to remediate this issue.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.